


Keep Calm and Make Pies

by apinkducky



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bottom Derek, Cora is a little shit, Fake relationship with Cora- only for a while, Human AU, M/M, Misunderstandings, One Night Stands, The Hale Family lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-11
Updated: 2014-12-11
Packaged: 2018-02-28 23:59:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2751992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apinkducky/pseuds/apinkducky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cora asks Stiles to be her fake date at a family dinner. Problem is, Stiles slept with Derek the night before. Misunderstandings ensue. And pies. Many pies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> So, this story is based on this [prompt ](http://12daysofsterek.tumblr.com/post/100845527939/sterek-holiday-au-ps-ill-forever-love-whoever).
> 
> This was my first long fic and I had lots of fun writing it.  
> It was beta-ed by my personal [cherub](http://chocostains.tumblr.com/), who didn't have as much fun correcting it. Thank you Katan<3  
> Any mistakes, are mine. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it:)
> 
> (Based on this prompt, there is also another fic by the awesome [authorkurikuri](http://authorkurikuri.tumblr.com) \- called [French Silk Pie](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2537945) XD)
> 
> Merry Christmas!

“So I may or may have not told my family that I’m dating a guy from work.”

Stiles looked at her suspiciously as he pushed the oven’s door closed. “May or may not?”

“May.”

“I’m the only guy you work with.” The fake, full teeth smile Cora flashed at him was more threatening than joyful. His doom was imminent. “Talk.” Stiles took in hand the knife closer to him.

“Are you sure you can restrain yourself?”

“And not commit murder? Sure. I know my limits.” Shrugging, he made a show of stabbing the apple pie that had got cold and was waiting to get cut and placed in the pastry case.

“Am I there yet?”

“The scale is tilting dangerously towards the dark side, young padawan.”

The day was slow, despite the festive atmosphere; Cora had left her post at the register, and was now leaning on the wall, keeping an eye both on the kitchen and the store.

“Okay, look. My family is a bit close and I might have let slip that I’m dating.”

“Let the may and might out of the discussion. They have no place here. Gimme the facts.” He said without raising his head, as he efficiently parted the pie in same-sized pieces. They would be selling these individually.

“Okay. I did let slip that I’m seeing someone but me and Lydia are way too soon to have a family meeting.”

“I want to ignore what’s coming next.”

“I want you to come as my date tomorrow to dine with my family. Come on! Just to get them off my back. They’ll just see you a couple of times and then I won’t have them nagging me all the time.”

“No. No. No.”

“What?”

“I just told you no in three languages. I think I say I disagree with this stupid plan. And no. I’m not going to be your guinea pig. Or the slaughter lamb. Or your date. Or anything for that— ”

“Stiles! You’ll come, we’ll eat, we’ll go! That’ll be it!”

Stiles placed the knife on the working table again because he didn’t want to end up cutting any part of him as his hands were flailing because of Cora’s stupidity. He liked all his parts attached, thank you very much.

“And what about simple every day stuff people do in their everyday lives when they eat, Cora? Like talking? Have you met me? I’m not good with talking to people, especially people that are forcefully and fakely the parents of my forced and fake girlfriend!”

“Stiles.” Cora sighed and took the knife he had just used to cut the apple in pieces. “I didn’t want to use this but I’ll have to remind you all the times I covered for you. If I recall correctly, you owe me three favors. I call them now.”

“This is unfair! You don’t get to decide what favors I’ll do for you!”

“Stiles. If you don’t cover for me in this, next time you’re on your own!”

“You can’t do that!”

“I just did.”

Stiles half closed his eyes in what he hoped to be his fierce and intimidating face. “You’re ruthless.”

“I’m a girl in desperate need of help. I’ll act desperately.”

“Great. Ok. Let’s do this.” Stiles sighed and jumped up and down ready for a battle that wasn’t yet to be fought but fuck if he was going to go unprepared to this. “So. How old are you?”

“Same as you.”

“No, Cora. Date. When is your birthday, the year etc. We can’t just go around telling people we’re together and not know stuff as simple as that.”

“Okay okay. April 1st..”

“Mine is April 8th. We’re close!”

The oven closer to her started beeping, signaling the cupcakes he had placed in earlier were ready. “Don’t get excited. It’s just birthday. What else?” she told him as she reached for the oven to press the button that would turn off the annoying noise. Then she wore heatproof gloves to take out the baking dish with the colorful paper cases.

“Seriously? What did you discuss with Lydia at your first dates?”

“We didn’t discuss many things.” Stiles mouth dropped and Cora rushed to save it. “What? We were occupied!”

“It’s been a month! How can you just… be occupied for so long? I want to be occupied for that long!” Stiles pushed the baking dish she let on the table at its farther end to let it cold and wait its turn to get decorated.

“I get it you haven’t been occupied in a long time, huh?”

“Long time doesn’t even start to describe the length.”

Cora frowned, a deep dimple appearing in between her eyebrows. “Together… have we…?”

“Oh no! I’m an honorable dude and I want to know you first. Together we weren’t occupied but for chaste things okay?”

“Fine. But it would be a smart idea not to look so desperate in front of my family okay?”

“Cora Hale. I hate you.”

She ignored him skillfully and continued. “Are we dating a month?”

“Yes. Let’s stick to the truth as much as we can.”

Cora nodded. “We met each other here, at the bakery, we had a couple of dates and we realized we like each other?”

“More or less. It wouldn’t help to show too much fervor. I surely hope they won’t expect us to kiss.”

Cora shuddered, making a face . “Eww no.”

“Don’t get too insulted because I’m out. Right now.” Although, he didn’t really blame her. She was a close friend of his who was now dating one of his best friends. A certain level of disgust at the prospect of kissing was expected.

“Alright. Is there anything else we should talk about?”

“It depends on how intrusive your family likes to get.”

“Very.”

“My favourite color is green, I love coffee but I can’t have it because of my Aderall so I order decaf. The fastest the food the better it tastes. My father is the Sheriff of Beacon Hills and I just finished college studying Forensic Psychology .”

“You think we should be prepared that well?”

“At least on basic stuff, yeah. Any allergies or foods that you dislike?”

“Allergies no. I hate mushrooms in every form, shape and taste.”

Sighing, Stiles got back to the pie in front of him. “Good. We’re doomed anyway so we’ll figure the rest along the way.”

“We don’t have much time. Tonight we’re meeting my brother for dinner. He didn’t believe that I indeed had someone and he wanted to meet you.”

Stiles turned his head so fast, he cracked his neck. “Me?”

“No, the person I’m dating.”

“Then take Lydia.”

“Stiles!”

“Okay okay. What time?”

“Eight o’clock. I’ll text you about the place. And don’t be late!”

“Get back to work. I’ll be late if I want to. I’m the boyfriend, you can’t threaten me!”


	2. Chapter 2

Stiles was looking around the restaurant from Cora’s earlier message. It was eight o’clock sharp but Cora and her brother weren’t there. Stiles asked if there was a reservation on Hale’s name. Then checked Stilinski’s although there was absolutely no reason for a reservation in his name. The answer was the same both times. No.

Keeping his face straight, Stiles followed the host’s suggestion, went to the bar and sat on the tall stool without wavering a bit. It was an appropriate way to wait for the two of them and, on the bright side, he needed a drink. He was going to meet Cora’s brother. One person of the Hale family that would be at the dinner tomorrow. Stiles needed a beer asap.

“Shit” he muttered as realization hit him hard. Cora never told him her family’s members’ names. He didn’t even know the name of the brother he was meeting or how many siblings she had! How the hell was he going to get through tonight’s dinner while covering up the fact that he didn’t even know her mother’s—? Oh wait… wait. Talia. Her mother’s name was Talia. Thank God.

He hit his head on the bar, moaning as the sound of glass on wood rang close to his ear. He didn’t bother to sit straight. He nodded a thank you, only one eye looking at the barman and turned again, blaming this to his bad luck, his persistent friend and his inability to decline requests as a normal human being.

“Aren’t you drinking?”

The voice on his right was close. It wasn’t deep but it was soothing. He liked it. Stiles turned his head towards it and damn, what kind of game was luck playing him tonight? The man, hothothot, was looking at him with amusement.

“Are you talking to me?” Stiles pointed to himself and when the man nodded, he sat up straight so fast that he almost fell off his stool. The guy’s hand was on his waist to catch him and Stiles heart did a somersault in his chest. When he was sitting again safely, he smiled in an effort to save face.

“Hello?”

“Aren’t you drinking?” he repeated.

Stiles looked at his glass of beer. “Not yet. Well, I am now. Aren’t you?” The guy didn’t have anything in front of him and Stiles couldn’t help that traitorous stupid voice that was asking why him.

The man motioned to the bartender. “I’ll have what he has.”

“It’s just beer.”

“Beer is good. You don’t like beer?”

“I’m drinking one.”

“You haven’t even touched it yet. It doesn’t count.” The guy tilted his head, to enhance the impact of his argument.

Stiles looked at the man provokingly, raised his glass and downed half of it in one go. “Satisfied?”

“Are you always so competitive?”

“I’m not competitive.” The hot dude raised an all-knowing eyebrow. Should eyebrows know everything? “Ok, maybe a little. But I’ve been stood up for…” Stiles looked at his watch. It was officially fifteen minutes and no Cora and brother “…fifteen minutes and I’m a bit pissed. Sorry.”

“It’s ok. I’ve been stood up, too. And she isn’t answering her phone either. How about… we wait some more minutes and then grab something to eat?”

“Together?”

The guy nodded and Stiles realized with delay that he didn’t know his name. “I agree with your plan.” He offered his hand smiling “Stiles.”

“Derek.” Stiles let the name sink in his mind for a while, tasting it mentally. He liked it. Just as he liked the voice that came with this gorgeous face and soft smile. It had been too long since he had been the center of interest for anyone, let alone a man like him. Stiles looked at his watch. Ten minutes Cora. Ten minutes and then he was going to have Derek all for himself.

He allowed himself to admire the soft bearded cheeks and the bright green eyes that made glass jealous. And there, he saw the light crease in Derek’s forehead. A small crease that wasn’t there before.

“You look thoughtful.”

Derek shook his head before he turned his head to him and shrugged. “I just don’t like being stood up.”

“Yeah, it sucks. It’s weird though. What are the chances that we have been both stood up?”

The smile returned on Derek’s face and, yeah, Stiles had to figure out a way to keep it there. Somehow. “Maybe we’re luckier than we thought.”

Stiles chocked on his drink. Derek was coming forward hard and hell if he wasn’t going to play along. “I’m pretty sure I’m the luckiest I’ve been in ages.” His statement made Derek blush. So he either wasn’t good at accepting compliments, or he was too good.

Stiles chuckled at his own achievement.

“How about we get the hell out of here now?”

Stiles eyes widened but, if Cora intended to show up, she would have at least send him a message to wait for her. “I’m in.” Stiles jumped off his stool with a kind of agility he could never muster - he was really motivated okay? Okay- and he took out his wallet. Derek was already paying for both their drinks.

“Food is on me.”

“Deal.”

They ended up in a fast food near his place. Derek apparently had no problem eating non-healthily despite his well-preserved body figure.

“And what kind of stories do you write?” They had been there for an hour and they had talked mainly about neutral topics like places they liked to hang out, movies and music. Until the moment Derek mentioned he was writer. Oh Derek was a gift and Stiles’s only intention was to unwrap it slowly and search everything in it. He was pretty set on the idea of enjoying the procedure, too.

“Mysteries. I always liked Sherlock Holmes and Hercules Poirot.”

Stiles opened his eyes widely. “Don’t tell me you write in the same style as Conan Doyle and —?”

“You sound insulted.”

“I am a bit, yes! I hate the way they always left out that single point that could give the reader the solution to the mystery. You know, you have Sherlock looking around but they don’t tell you exactly what he sees and then he just goes “Oh I know what it is!” And that’s it. We have to read and wait for him to explain what it was. I mean, wait dude, aren’t we in this story together?”

Derek’s only reaction was to laugh. “I don’t disagree, although I do believe that they were giving enough clues for the reader too. But I prefer my mysteries to be like quests, you know. Going from one place to the other, search stuff, solve puzzles. This kind of things.”

“Now you’re talking!” Stiles smiled and ate some of his fries. “I’d like to read something you wrote.”

Derek’s face lost some of its energy but he still answered. “Maybe one day.”

And Stiles couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. Maybe one day could mean many things, including the possiblity that this was a one night thing and he wasn’t going to see him again.

He bit his lips and looked at Derek. Well, he wouldn’t let this get him down. He was going to make clear that he wanted to see him again. Yeah. He’d also give him his phone number and at least then he could say that he had tried.

He was reaching for his coat to take out his phone when he saw Derek taking out his wallet.

“I thought I was paying for our dinner.”

“Oh you’re right.” Derek’s smile was polite but didn’t reach his eyes. What the hell had happened?”

“Uhm… do you want to go for a drink at my place?” The words came out of his mouth as he was fishing for his wallet on one of his back pockets. He didn’t dare to look at Derek. Disappointment wasn’t his favorite style so he made it look as if he was occupied taking the bills out and looking for change to leave a tip.

“Yes.” The answer came in a low voice and only then did Stiles look up. Derek was looking at him and for the life of him Stiles couldn’t tell what he could be thinking to have such a serious face on.

“Come on then, I’m close.” Stiles led the way to his small apartment which was surprisingly clean, although not as tidy as he’d like to have a man there. “A beer?” He said as soon as he dropped his coat on the sofa. He turned in time to see Derek coming on him, pushing him on the wall and pressing their lips together.


	3. Chapter 3

Derek kissing him had this weird effect on Stiles's knees. He found it difficult to multitask with all his senses in overdrive. The soft bites on his neck, the languid licks right under his ear and chin, and the long fingers that had just reached under his shirt made him gasp for more.

“Derek.”

And Derek obliged. He stuck his body against Stiles’s and right then, a soft shudder and gasp gave him away and Stiles could tell that Derek was just as affected by this as he was. Good. It was time to level his game and make the man moan -and Stiles bet his moans were as sexy as his smile.

Stiles reached with his hand to cup Derek’s ass and pull him closer, rubbing his groin on Derek’s at the same time. Someone should give Stiles his award because he had just won the most profitable bet in his life. That moan. The moan. Stiles indulged himself in repeating his action and this time he got a soft whimper right on his lips.

“I want to make you moan more.”He confessed.

Derek nipped at his chin and unbuttoned Stiles shirt. “Do it.” He passed his hands up and down Stiles torso and he balanced really close to his belt. “If you can.”

“Oh… is this provocation I hear?” Stiles hand went straight on Derek’s bulge in the front. Derek bit his own lips but didn’t moan. “And is this resistance I see?”

“You’re quite observant.”

Stiles smiled cunningly. “I’m a lot more than that.” He pushed Derek away from him, twined their fingers and pulled him to the bed with slow steps. “I want to undress you.” Derek’s nod was clear. More apparent, though, was his Adam’s apple bobbing under Stiles’s scrutiny. He pulled Derek closer as he reached the bed and took his shirt off, at the same time caressing the skin under the fabric. He left soft kisses here and there until Derek groaned impatiently.

“Stiles.”

“What?”

“There are more clothes to take off.” All this time, Derek’s hands were resting on his side, waiting, kept in loose fists with effort. Stiles could feel the tension vibrating from Derek’s body. He would give anything to have more time to explore it further but he’d been out of the game for long. Derek wasn’t the only one who couldn’t wait.

His fingers moved on Derek’s button and zipper, nothing close to elegant or swift. They were needy and awkward, but in the end the stupid pants were off and Derek was stepping out of them. Stiles’s didn’t wait. He cupped Derek’s hard cock above his underwear and Derek pulled him into a hard, urgent kiss that left Stiles gasping.

“Take off the rest off your clothes.”

Shit. Stiles’s hands were trembling but he managed. When he looked up, Derek had gotten rid off his own underwear. He was so naked and so handsome that Stiles had to restrain himself from licking the man. “Shit you’re gorgeous. I want…” he swallowed hard, because yeah okay, they were both naked but they were still strangers “I want to suck you.”

Derek’s eyes were on him and his expression was undecipherable; until Stiles mentioned the suck part. He blushed before nodding again. Note to self: Derek wasn’t talkative when he was asked what he wanted. Check movements, blush, eyes. Got it.

Stiles pushed him on the bed and knelt in front of him. He found the strength to dip into Derek’s groin, and take his cock in his mouth without embarrassing himself. Really intense and really green eyes were looking down at him as if Derek was a wild animal freezing at the car lights. When Derek moaned, his eyes closing, his head tilting back, Stiles moaned with him, the man’s taste filling his mouth. Sweet and sour, and Derek.

“Lube?”

“In the drawer. Condoms, too. ”

Derek moved to the drawer, fished the lube and the condoms blindly and gave them to Stiles.

“Me?”

“You don’t want to?”

“Uhm no. Not no, yes. I mean, no I don’t have a problem with that, and yes I want to.” Stiles mouth was working overtime and Derek smiled despite his dread. It had been a long time since he had let anyone be on top but for some reason, Stiles seemed right.

“Do you know what to do?” Stiles seemed to work better under provocation so Derek took the chance. Besides, it was fun to tease him. When Stiles got on his knees and smiled, cock still rock hard, he knew he had pressed the right button.

“Lie down. How do you want it?” Oh.

“Anyway.” He was so aroused that he wouldn’t care if they had fucked up against the wall. Well, not for lack of trying from his part. Derek didn’t move as Stiles examined his face, probably balancing the possibilities.

“On your back. Your expressions are too beautiful not to look at.”

Damn. Stiles was pressing Derek’s right buttons now, and Derek liked it. Having a partner that wanted him, truly wanted him, and not salivating over his body wasn’t what he expected to find tonight. Damn Cora and her date.

Derek lay down on his back and Stiles kissed his way up from his thighs to his neck. Soft kisses, hard nips, skillful licks. Shit. Stiles fingers on his cock made him groan.

“You’re moaning. I’m on the right path.”

Derek couldn’t reply. A come back or something sarcastic would be good but Stiles choose that very moment to start stroking him and Derek lost all coherent thoughts. A cold finger probed his ass and Derek opened his legs more to help. The feeling was weird at first as always. It took him a couple of minutes to adjust to the intrusive sensation and move back to Stiles’s fingers.

“Fuck!” Stiles swallowed his cock in rhythm with his fingers and Derek could only fight for breath. “If you keep doing that, shit, I’ll…”

Apparently Stiles had his own agenda and didn’t stop until Derek was moaning hard, taking his mouth off just before he started to come all over his stomach, both fists clenched in Stiles hair, trying to double over Stiles.

He fell back on the bed like a motionless doll, eyes closing in an effort to stop the world from spinning around him.

“Good. And now that I have you relaxed, are you ready for the real thing?”

“Where do you learn this kind of lines?” Stiles laugh was warm near his ear, a finger drawing shapeless figures on his chest.

“It was a good line.”

“I would have been a good line if I could still process it.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Are you up for more big guy?”

Stiles asking him every time what he wanted was interesting. It spoke volumes deep down to his core. Truth was, he hadn’t expected a one night stand to be like this. Derek had imagined rough sex against some bathroom wall. And here he was getting dinner and invitation to his home. Anyway, there was no reason to dwell over it. Stiles had made it clear that Derek was just a hook up for him from the moment he gave him a fake name. It was okay though. He could do just sex. It wasn’t a big deal.

Derek nodded instead of answering, and admired Stiles lean body and long limbs and he was wearing the condom on himself.

He hissed when Stiles pushed. He wasn’t hard anymore, but he was certainly turned on. How couldn’t he be with Stiles’s face in concentration above him, checking his face for any inconvenience. The hand on his hip, keeping him steady wasn’t anchoring just Derek’s body but also his mind. The stretch was uncomfortable at the beginning but Stiles showed patience and didn’t move.

“Are you ok?” Stiles caressed Derek’s side and Derek could feel something melting inside him. He nodded and put his hand on Stiles’s to stop him, the caring move making him too emotional. Stiles had to be the exception of one night stands. Or Derek had landed the only man that was doing things in a completely different way.

When Stiles moved, Derek moaned despite his efforts. It had been awfully long since he had sex and awfully longer since he had a man inside him. It got easier quickly, pleasure finding its way in his body as Stiles thrust inside him in a steady, slow rhythm.

“More.” He ordered and Stiles obliged, bracing himself on his elbow next to Derek’s face, the other hand on Derek’s hip. His moves became sharper, faster as Stiles was closer to his orgasm, more frantic. And then Stiles stopped.

Derek’s heart drummed in his ears as Stiles propped himself up, kneeling between his legs, always inside him.

“What?”

“I’ll come if we go on like this.”

“Isn’t that our goal?”

“No. Our goal is to have fun. Both of us.” He smiled as he settled better, supporting Derek’s one leg up under the knee and letting the other fall gently to the side. He caressed Derek’s skin were his leg met his groin and Derek hissed. Stiles hand moved on his balls, closing around them with gentle strength. Derek trembled and took a deep breath to balance himself.

Apparently, Stiles couldn’t hold back anymore, because he took Derek’s cock in his hand, stroking as he moved again against him. Derek’s chest tightened, shudders running from his neck to his spine as he couldn’t take anymore stimulation and he came again on his stomach with a gasp. Stiles took that as a sign, and chased his own orgasm, thrusting hard inside Derek as he came.

“I think I lost my eyesight.” Stiles murmured next to his ear, where he collapsed.

“Open your eyes.”

“Oh you’re right.” The irony in his voice was audible and Derek smiled through desperate breaths.

“I need a shower.”

“Is that an invitation?”

“I came twice in half an hour.” Stiles rolled on his back next to him, covering his eyes with his arm.

“We can challenge your recuperating time.”

“Mine? Are you ready to go again?”

“In twenty minutes.” He told him deadpan. Of course, Stiles knew how long he could go on. It wasn’t the first time he’d done this. It didn’t matter, though. Derek had nothing to lose from fucking around all night with Stiles. It would be a memorable night that would fuel his sexual fantasies and many future jerking off sessions.

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Derek closed his eyes for a while, sparing a moment to recollect himself.

As it was proved, fucking Stiles in the bathroom wasn’t one of Stiles’s brightest ideas. But it was hot. Stiles’s shouts as he came, the way his fingers were trying to hold up from somewhere on the wet tiles, the way his body got heavier after his orgasm had all burnt inside Derek’s memory.

If Derek wanted to be honest, he’d love to go out with him again. To talk to him again; maybe even fuck again. But Stiles made it clear right after they got out of the bathroom that this was it by falling asleep just the moment Derek was asking for his phone number.

As Derek lay awake most of the night, imagining how it would be to be with Stiles in a more steady way, he kept looking at the man’s sleeping figure and the numerous moles that decorated his skin. It would have been nice. It would have been different.

Derek left from Stiles’s apartment an hour after the sun came up. Leaving was difficult because, in the end, it wasn’t something he was used to do. Sex, talking with a stranger about his writing. Leaving. Deep down, he didn’t know if he was doing the right thing. The possibility though of Stiles waking up in the morning, wondering why he was still there and telling him he’d be in touch, was the final push he needed out of Stiles door.


	4. Chapter 4

“I said it wasn’t my fault! Stiles will you listen to me?”

“Listen to you? I’ve been waiting for half an hour Cora. You could at least message me!”

“I couldn’t! I was out of battery and I had to watch over my sister’s kids. She had a late shift in the hospital and couldn’t come home for the night. What was I supposed to do? Leave the kids alone?”

“Charging your phone when you have someone waiting for you would be a good start!”

“I tried. I didn’t have a charger with me. I sent you an email.”

“Great. That would solve everything I guess.”

“Stiles I’m sorry. I know I messed up but honestly I tried to contact you every way possible. I haven’t memorized your phone number.” Cora pulled her hair behind her ears and sat heavily on the chair next to the door. “Besides, you’re not the only one angry with me. My brother was furious.”

“Your brother showed up?”

“Yeah.”

Stiles shrugged. Since he didn’t know her brother, it was impossible to tell if he was there.

“You know what. I don’t care. But yesterday was a favor off your list okay? I was there, you weren’t. I held up my end of the bargain.” Stiles kneaded the dough a bit harder than it was necessary. The only good thing out of the previous night was two rounds of mind-blowing sex and a Derek disappeared byt the morning, so sorry if he wasn’t in the best mood. Shoot him, he didn’t care.

Damn it, Derek. When Stiles woke up alone in the morning he had felt… wrong. Used. He kept telling himself that one night stands were like this, that he shouldn’t be waiting for anything more, but damn, Derek was so into it. He was sweet and caring, and okay, maybe the fuck in the bathroom was pleasurably rough and his ass might still be sore, but the first time… it wasn’t just sex. It felt so intimate, so different than just a physical outlet.

When he laid on the bed after their shower, Stiles had believed that he’d wake up with Derek, make him breakfast, ask more stuff about him and then when it was time to say goodbye, he’d ask himout for lunch or dinner or anything later, and he’d give him his phone number.

Well, apparently for Derek it was less. It was just physical. Another guy to hook up with and then forget about him in the morning.

“Stiles!”

“What?” Okay, that was a bit angrier than what he had intended but he was thinking about Derek and his stupid situation and he was - for lack of a better word, frustrated.

“If you keep beating that dough the way you do now, you’ll ruin it and then you’ll whine because you won’t be able to use it.”

Stiles looked down at the mixture in his bowl. Cora was right. If he wanted for these cheese pies to ever be baked, he shouldn’t be throwing away the dough he’d been working on for the last half an hour.

“Tonight. Here’s my address.” Cora passed him a piece of paper filled with her handwriting. Be there at seven.” She kept looking at him expectantly, the urge to say more written all over her face. “It’s not just that I stood you up. There’s something more, right? You can’t be that mad at me. Not that mad at least. What happened?”

“Nothing. I’ll be at your place at seven.” He turned his back to her, wiping the flour off his hands to stuff away the piece of paper, and hoping that would spare him from her nagging.

“There is no nothing here. Did anything happened? Did you meet anyone?”

“No, Cora, Jesus! Leave me alone okay?” Stiles turned around, hands open in exasperation. Cora was as stubborn as he was and sometimes he doubted the reasons on their friendship was based on.

Apparently, it was there thing to do because Cora’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s it! You met someone! Tell me about her!”

“It’s a him! I’m a very bisexual dude, thank you very much. And no, I don’t wanna talk about him.”

“Things didn’t go well?”

“Cora! No!” The last thing he wanted was to analyze with Cora the size of his stupidity. He didn’t want her to look at him with pity and tell him that people who fished fuck buddies at bars tend to disappear in the morning. He already knew that!

“Okay okay… I’m not asking. But, you know that if you wanna talk, I’ll be here right?”

“Yeah, I know. Now stop talking. Apart from the cheese pies, the pumpkin pie order is huge and we only have today and tomorrow.”

Stiles rang the bell and it was Cora who opened. She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Hello. Come in.”

“Did I come too soon?” he asked as he stepped inside the house and looked around in the hall. A stair was leading upstairs. On his right there had to be the kitchen because all kind of delicious smells were tickling his nose and on his left he could see the living room. Children’s laughter came from that direction, too. The carpets were thick, well used. Christmas decorations were all over the place, giving the feeling of a cosy and warm atmosphere. Stiles liked it. It had been years since his own house had smelled so good, and had held so much energy in it.

“No, your timing is good.” Cora took the smooth pecan pie Stiles was holding and led him to the kitchen.

“Mum this is Stiles. Stiles, this is mother.”

“Mrs Talia. It’s nice to meet you.” Stiles gave his hand to the woman who was smiling at him widely, proud that he could at least remember one name in this household. Her handshake was strong and her eyes pining.

“Stiles, it’s nice to meet you too. I have to say we don’t know much about you, but I hope that is a fact about to change.”

Stiles nodded. She was looking at him with an expression that was honesty, dangerously balancing with pure challenge. “Certainly. I hope that too.” What else was there to say to the woman? He looked around in the kitchen, the many plates with food almost ready to be served, some vegetables still uncut on the counter and the oven that was still on. “Uhm, do you need any help here?”

“No I’m fine! You two go to the living room. I’ve almost everything ready.”

“Ok.” He nodded again and turned to Cora. She smiled encouragingly, took his hand - oh shit was just getting real- and headed to the living room. Stiles braced himself for the impact and followed her.

The room was occupied with at least five-seven people and two children playing with a Rottweiler puppy. A dark haired woman that was much alike Talia greeted them when Cora introduced him.

“Hello Stiles.” Her smile was warm as she took his hand in hers, her handshake strong and steady. “I’m Laura and this is my husband Dean.”

Her husband, right next to her, also shook Stiles’s hand smiling. “Welcome to our craziness Stiles.”

“It’s nice to be here.” Too many faces, too many people. How many people were they trying to fool? Stiles had believed this to be something small. You know, parents, brother, sister, end game. Not this. God, what was that?

“This is uncle Peter” Cora said as she turned to her left and Stiles shook his hand obediently, wondering why the man reminded him of hungry wolf, but chased the thought away as soon as it popped up, “and here’s my brother Derek.”

Stiles froze. Derek was a common name. Yes, right. Common. Except, it wasn’t always paired with the same hazel eyes, too expressive for their own good eyebrows and pure masculinity that was coming out from every pore of Derek’s body.

This was Derek. His Derek. Not his, but yeah, the Derek he had sucked yesterday. The one he had fucked on his bed and the one that had fucked him senseless in his shower.

And he was here.

He was Cora’s brother.

Brother.

Oh Shit.

“Hello… Stiles.”

Derek pronounced his name as if it was an insult. He shook Derek’s hand but his mind was running on the complications of this meeting, because if Derek was Cora’s brother - yeah okay he was Cora’s brother, then they had sex while Stiles was Cora’s date. And now Derek was looking at him with killing intent, full of intention to kill.

“Derek.” He mumbled as he bowed his head softly.

“How long have you been together?” There it was. Derek was in fighting mode and Stiles couldn’t accuse him for that.

“A month or so.”

“How did you meet?” He hadn’t let his hand go. Instead, the grip around his palm was like a vice and Stiles was doing all he could do to not show his discomfort, that was borderline pain.

“Derek, don’t try to pull off the older brother’s twenty-questions. The trick is too old.” Laura patted Derek on the back and he looked at her, pressing his lips together as if he wanted to say something and he couldn’t.

Ironically, that was the only thing that could save Stiles face and life right now. Because what could he say really? This man isn’t loyal to our sister and I know it because I banged him yesterday? Not really something that came up in every day conversation. Or at a let’s-meet-your-boyfriend dinner.

“Food is ready!” Stiles was saved by the bell as Talia’s voice echoed through the whole house and everyone moved to help her carry plates with dinner.

When they had all settled around the dining table with a copious amount of food on their plates, Laura turned to him ever smiling.

“So, Stiles, how did you two meet?” It was as if she had stopped Derek earlier just to have the pleasure of asking him this kind of stuff herself.

“Here we go.”Cora whispered next to him.


	5. Chapter 5

The dinner went on not as awkward as Stiles had imagined in the first place. Cora’s family had indeed made questions but for the most part they had been pretty decent. The deal breaker were Derek’s hostile looks to his direction sending chills down Stiles spine. The guy wasn’t going to forget or forgive for that matter and Stiles didn’t blame him.

The surprising part was, that the deadly stares were the only reaction Stiles had gotten. Not snappy come backs, not weird questions to bring him to a difficult position. Nothing of the kind that could upset the happy atmosphere of the dinner. Lashing out seemed to be just around the corner and that made Stiles feel like prey.

When all the food was finished and Laura got up to bring the desert, Stiles excused himself to go to the bathroom. He needed a couple of minutes to pull himself together. It wasn’t everyday that you realized that the guy you had a one night stand with and had given you so many mixed signals was your friend’s and coworker’s brother. Who he’d gladly make Stiles insides spaghetti if he had the opportunity.

Stiles closed the bathroom door behind him and sighed. He peed because he wasn’t losing this chance after two beers and four glasses of water - what? He got thirsty when he was nervous- and he washed his hands.

Images of last night couldn’t leave his head, especially, now with the object of his fantasies on the other side of the table. What a mess. He poured some water on his face as the door of the bathroom opened.

“What the hell?” He turned to see a furious Derek closing the door with an ease, soundless motion.

“What’s your game?”

Since it was his own health on the line, he wasn’t going to stay there and take it. Stiles could play that game too. “Where did you learn your manners dude? Because it was certainly not in this house.”

“Don’t you fucking talk about my house.” Teeth. Derek had shown him his teeth.

“I’ll talk about anything I want since you’re the one who barged into the bathroom while I was peeing.”

“Are you afraid I’d see something important? Been there, done that. Nothing important to see.” Ouch. “Now tell me, what the fuck is your game with my sister?”

“I play no game Mister. I date your sister and that’s it.”

Derek wanted to do something painful to him. He kept his hands on his side though, because he wouldn’t be able to justify any marks on Stiles’s neck if he were to do something.

“What was yesterday night?”

Stiles shrugged. “A memory.”

Fuck you Stiles. Fuck you.

“You cheated on my sister you asshole and if you think I’ll let this pass so easily your intelligence suffers.”

“I don’t know what you’re saying man. As far as I’m concerned I was at home yesterday. Cora knows about it.”

Derek felt his chest dropping. Stiles was going to play dirty and Derek couldn’t understand how he hadn’t seen under his facade from the start. “I thought you were decent.”

“Says the man who wasn’t there the next morning.”

“Do you seriously have the nerve to tell me that? When you’re not even giving your real name to anyone?”

“Stiles is my real name asshole!” Stiles pushed him and walked the two steps to the bathtub. “I don’t even know why I’m talking with you about this. I don’t owe you anything.”

He didn’t know what happened, exactly. The coldness in Stiles voice, the fact that he didn’t care about his sister, that he didn’t give a damn about the repercussions of his own actions blinded him and Derek lost it. He pulled him by his shirt and slammed him on the wall next to the bathroom door.

“Listen how it’s going to be, Stiles.” He was talking next to his ear, trying to pour all his disdain and disgust in his voice. “You go down now and in a couple of minutes you tell everyone you got a message, an emergency, anything. You get the hell out of my house and tomorrow, you get clean with Cora. A break up. Simple as that. Are we clear?”

“What if I don’t want—”

Derek slammed him again on the wall, ignoring Stiles’s discomfort and examining his face. All his freckles were so prominent now that he was that close. Fuck you Stiles.

“Are.We.Clear?”

Stiles surprised him by returning his look straight in the eye, like nothing was his fault. Like he wasn’t ashamed. “Yes Derek. We’re clear.” Derek had to be satisfied with that but he wasn’t, because Stiles’s face was full of defiance and his tone was closer to a fuck you than compliance.

Still, since he had agreed, he couldn’t hold him. He pushed him once more warningly and took a step back, straightening Stiles’s shirt ironically, only to have his hands slapped away. Stiles opened the door and got out of the bathroom without saying anything more.

Derek stood motionless for a couple of minutes to pull himself together. Yes, he was fucking angry with Stiles and he was even more furious with himself. Leave it to him to go and fuck the man his sister was dating. Leave it to him to believe that something more would come out of a hook up. Leave it to fucking him to fall for every weirdo out there.

Shit, yes he was feeling guilty. And yes, leave it to him to feel aroused after this. 

Derek entered the living room after a good ten minutes upstairs. Calming down from his anger was one thing. Calming down from his anger while he was still hard from pressing against Stiles was a whole lot different and it took him by surprise. Never again was he turned on by the proximity to someone. Especially, when they had ended up deceiving him. And Derek had his fair share of people trying to take advantage of him. Of psychopaths that had tried to burn his family alive or of girlfriends that were sociopathic liars and had used him as a trophy.

As a matter of fact, they were the sole reason that Derek became a writer. It was the only job that allowed him not to be surrounded by people that would make remarks on his good looks and forget the person next to them. He liked the privacy and the fact that the only pressure on him was coming from his editor to get up and get a life. Erica was awesome and it had to be the only editor ever alive that asked from her writers not to write and get the fuck out and hook up.

Erica’s advice had led to Stiles.

Stiles, of course, didn’t fall into any of the above categories. Yet. He was a cheater, therefore a liar. And their discussion had shown Derek that Stiles was prepared to face him and call him a liar in a potential exposure. That in itself made him dangerous for everyone. Derek hadn’t managed to learn what Stiles’s goal was. What he wanted to accomplish by lying and fucking around.

Maybe Stiles was addicted to sex and he— Derek stopped the train of thoughts because they were going to ugly places with his sister as the protagonist and -oh god no. That’s it. That’s it. Derek shook himself to send away the thoughts.

“Derek are you okay?”

The voice brought him out of his mind and down to reality, in a living room where everyone was having Lauras’s chocolate cake and a pie. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Laura’s face was full of concern. “You’ve been standing at the door, looking lost for more than two minutes.”

“I was thinking about my story.” This seemed to always work for them and this time wasn’t any different.

“Story?” Stiles asked. Derek looked at him straight in the eye, pressing his lips together in an effort to control himself. Stiles had the balls to pretend that he didn’t know. That yesterday night they hadn’t been talking about Derek’s books. About the stupid possibility that Stiles would read his writing one day. Derek wanted to grab him by the shirt and throw him out.

“Derek’s an author. He’s working on his third book now.”

“You’re an author?” And there was it. Stiles wasn’t just provoking him; he was making fun of him.

“Do you have a problem?”

“Come on Derek. There is no need for the attitude. Stiles is just interested in you.” Derek’s head span around fast to look at Peter. His uncle had this smug look on his face, as if he knew. Did he know? How could he know?

Then again, Peter wanted to fuck with every new person he met, test their limits and push them as far as they could go, so maybe this was for Stiles.

“What kind of books have you written?

Derek sighed. He didn’t want to answer the question but he did as he was forking a piece of the pie rather aggressively. “Mystery.”

“Derek doesn’t like to talk about his books. I have upstairs his first if you want to read it.” Talia’s polite response did nothing to hide the pride for her son.

“It’s okay Mrs. Hale. I don’t like mysteries.”


	6. Chapter 6

Stiles couldn’t sleep. The events of the dinner were coming and going in his head and he’d been tossing and turning for at least two hours. Eventually, he got up to bake. His job at the bakery wasn’t random. When he couldn’t face a problem - usually he ignored them until they went away- he would get buried under a pile of flour, salt, sugar and eggs.

Pies.

That’s what he liked to bake more than anything. He loved pies. His mother used to make them for all occasions. Was it a birthday, or Christmas, was it Halloween or just a party, if anyone wanted, there would alwaysbe some kind of pie in the oven. Stiles had started making pies to remember some of the smells that his mother used to fill the house with and eventually, the habit stuck with him.

The problem named Derek was huge. No. Scratch that. The problem named Derek couldn’t be bigger and huger and giganti-er so, the situation demanded pies. Many pies. All the pies.

Kneading the dough was a surprisingly stress relieving occupation and Stiles used it as a way to let out his tension. Besides, the better the dough was kneaded, the taster it would become. It was a win-win situation.

Derek.

He had to tell Scott or he was going to go crazy. His hands were still full of flour when he called him.

“Stiles?” The sleepy on the other side of the phone was exactly what Stiles had expected, and the main reason he had hesitated to call Scott in the first place.

“Yo Scotty. Emergency situation here.”

“Stiles it’s four thirty.”

“I know. That’s why I told you it was an emergency. If it wasn’t, I’d call in the morning. At a more logical hour. But it is an emergency and I had to make an urgent phone call. You.”

“Have you been arrested?”

“No.”

“Are you okay?”

“No.”

“Are you baking?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m coming.”

“Thanks bro.”

“Wait, you cheated Derek with his sister?”

“No Scott! I’m not with Derek, it was a one night stand.”

“But you said—”

“I said I thought I could be with Derek because I liked—”

“The sex.”

“— him.” Thee had talked at the same time and Scott was slowly infuriating Stiles. True, he had been really cruel to pull him out of his bed in the middle of the night just to hear his mess but come on.

“Scott, concentrate!”

“It’s five o’clock! The only thing I can concentrate on right now is the side I’m going to sleep at.”

Despite his frustration, Stiles smirked, and as he layered the pie with apples, he told Scott the events again. This time with less comments, and movements and more time-line. He could see that Scott had flour on his hair and nose.

“So Derek thinks you cheated on his sister with him. But you don’t have anything going with Cora. And Derek wants you to stop seeing his sister.”

“Correct.”

“Then why don’t you tell him? That you’re faking it?”

“Because I can’t give Cora out like that dude. Besides, do you think he’d ever believed me if I showed up and told him -Hey you know? There is nothing going on with your sister. We faked it to deceive your family. Sex me some more, we’re good now.”

Scott winced, and rightfully so because Scott always came up with bad plans. “Why don’t you talk to Cora. To at least let the brother into the scheme?”

“I can’t do that. That, I can’t do. What if she doesn’t know that he’s gay? Or bi? I can’t out Derek like that.” Stiles shook his head with determination. That was the only thing he wasn’t going to do. He had enough guilt for deceiving all these good people. Even if Derek was an asshole to threaten him like he did, at the end of the day he was protecting his sister, and he didn’t deserve that. Stiles was on the wrong here and he couldn’t forget that, no matter how much the hurt of that morning still burnt in his memory.

“Then you don’t have any other choice than but to tell Cora that you’re not going to help her anymore.”

“She told me…”

“And since when a couple of favors are more important than hurting people?”

Stiles froze. He wanted Scott? There, he got Scott. Honest and true to himself to the point he reached bone and drew blood. Painfully.

He sighed as he watched his friend sipping his coffee still half asleep.

“You know Scott… You’re not helping.” He sighed.

“I know. Now, put the pie in the oven and let’s go watch some bad TV until it’s done and then we can go to sleep. It’s Saturday. ”

“Cora I think it’s time we talk.”

“About what?”

“Stiles of course.” Laura sat next to her and smiled happily, ready for a gossiping session.

“Oh. Stiles.” Cora looked at Derek too, and then shrugged. “What do you wanna talk about?”

“I could say that I like him, and I like his wit and humor.”

“Then you got him pretty right. That’s who Stiles is and these are the qualities that drew me to him.”

Derek wanted to speak to Cora alone, to talk to her about Stiles and maybe tell her that he’s not as honest as he appears. Laura’s mood for conversation took him off guard. Maybe that was a good occurrence. Maybe this way he could tell if what Cora had with Stiles was something worth the pain of telling his little sister that her boyfriend was a cheating asshole.

“You were always for the bad boy type.” Cora looked at him and her gaze was cold as he continued. “What? It’s right though. Stiles… doesn’t give off that vibe.”

She shrugged. “People change I guess. Maybe I’m going for steady rather than adventurous this time.”

Derek’s heart sank in his chest. Cora was going into this relationship seriously. And he would be the one to tell her off. Could he? Would she understand?

“What if he doesn’t want to?”

“Why? Do you have inside information that I don’t?”

“N-No. Just, make sure that you both want the same thing from each other before you go on.”

Cora’s teasing expression melted and she got up and hugged him. “Thank you Derek. I know you what you’re talking about.” The sentence hang unsaid between them but all three knew what she meant. Considering all the previous wackos you had for girlfriends. “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

Derek bit his lips and looked at Laura. Despite her fond expression, her eyes were serious. As if she had got something from this discussion. Would Laura be a safer choice to break the news?

“Yes Derek. Don’t worry. Not everyone is a creepy person. Besides, Stiles looked pretty normal and okay.” She offered

Cora smiled. “Because he is. I’m telling you he’s completely harmless.”

Derek cut the snort that threatened to leave his throat at the last moment. He did roll his eyes though. He was only human, and bullshit had an effect of him.

“Hey, don’t be like that! Just because you had a bad experience, it doesn’t mean that everyone should enter relationships waiting to be murdered.”

“Cora!” Laura’s voice was more of a hiss, her maternal instinct showing a bit too much.

“I’m sorry but it’s true.”

“She’s right, Laura.” It wasn’t alright. It was never easy to have people remind him of the past. Not even his sister’s, no matter how much he loved them. But he couldn’t argue on that. He should just have the fucking balls to tell his sister that he had slept with her boyfriend and not be a douchebag and try to change her mind without proof.

He looked at Cora again. “I’m sorry. Just be careful okay?”

Cora nodded, her expression between guilt, pity and relief. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t—”

“I said it’s okay.” He forced a smile, got up and left for his apartment shouting a general bye to whoever listened.


	7. Chapter 7

Stiles was trying to build an awesome, majestic castle on Minecraft; one that resembled the Matsumoto castle in everything but the black color. Trying was the key word because he had been killed two times by a stupid creeper, his dad had called him to know how he was doing and Lydia had texted him to remind him she was organizing a movie night the following week and he’d better be there or she’d have his ass on a plate. All these within the impressive period of the past thirty minutes.

He had finally had seven - or was it nine- minutes of quiet, the only sounds in his ears being his character’s steps around the building, the torches burning on the half-built walls and the soft Minecraft music that had just restarted, when his phone rang. He had a text. From Cora.

Cora: i need a ride

Stiles: now? where are u?

Cora: my place

Stiles: we talked about this

They did. Stiles had explained to her that he couldn’t keep up this charade. It wasn’t easy to deceive her family and he couldn’t do it anymore even if she never covered for him again.

She obviously hadn’t expected that development, judging by the millions of expressions she had changed, starting from laughter, going through confusion only to settle to understanding with a half-hearted sorry. She couldn’t really understand his problem, but she wasn’t going to pressure him more than that.

So, what was that now?

Cora: i know but it’s raining and i’m stuck at my place and i want to meet Lydia

Stiles: no one can give you a ride?

Cora: come on Stiiiiles. you don’t have to come at the house. just honk and i’ll come out ok?

Stiles didn’t like the idea. He didn’t like it at all. Just being by the Hale’s house brought goosebumps all over his body. On the other hand, Cora was his friend and this favor was nothing like the last one. And he still owed her. The hell with it.

Stiles: coming

Stiles let his game on pause and got dressed. He drove his jeep to Cora’s house carefully, because the roads were wet and slippery from the rain and he loved his life. He parked at the other side of the road and checked the time. It was well twenty minutes after the last message he had sent to Cora. He pressed his honk, and waited.

Only a minute after he honked, the door to her house opened. Relief washed over him because he had this urge to ran away from the very first second he hit his breaks in front of her building. He opened the passenger’s door but the one who got in wasn’t Cora. It was Derek.

Stiles was too shocked to say anything when Derek turned to him growling. “I told you to stay away from her. Taking her on dates isn’t staying away. What kind of fucking person are you?”

Stiles swallowed but said nothing, taken aback by Derek’s anger. Okay, it wasn’t news that Derek thought of him as trash after what happened, but hearing him talking to him this way was ugly. Painful.

No. Not painful. It couldn’t be painful and he shouldn’t hurt like this. They had one fucking night. One. And Derek was the one to end it, not the other way round.

Derek pointed a finger at his face. “If I ever see you again anywhere around here apart from the bakery, I’m gonna tear your throat up; With my teeth.”

Okay that threat might not seem real but it was certainly intimidating.

A question had crept up to the back of his mind for the whole time after the dinner. What if he told him? Scott’s idea wasn’t bad, even if Scott’s ideas were always bad. He could tell him. At least he would spare Derek the guilt that he had slept with his sister’s boyfriend. Jesus, what a mess.

Yeah, he would tell him. He could do it. He’d just open his mouth and start with “Derek, look… It’s not as you think it—”

Derek’s finger pressed against Stiles’s chest and he showed his teeth. Maybe the threat was a bit real after all. “It’s not as I think?” Shit, of course. “And how do I think it is? Or better yet, tell me how you think it is.”

Finally. “Cora and I—”

The door opened and Cora froze in place. “Derek? What are you doing here?”

Derek raised his eyebrows and his expression changed to something more friendly. “Keeping Stiles company, since you were getting late.”

“Oh God, I hope you didn’t creep him out.” She said as Derek got out of the car and Cora closed her umbrella to take his seat next to Stiles.

“I don’t know. Did I? Stiles?”

“No, he didn’t. Don’t worry about it. Close the door, we’re leaving. Bye Derek.” The faster he was out of there, the faster he was never going to get himself in this mess ever again. Ever. 

“What did you talk about?”

“Let’s say that he gave me the big brother lecture that I obviously don’t need.”

Cora laughed. “I wasn’t expecting this but look, don’t take him wrong. He’s had some… bad experiences in relationships and he doesn’t trust people easily.”

“Bad experiences?” Stiles didn’t take his eyes off the road but he was interested in this.

“These aren’t my stories to tell but he had two relationships and they both ended up badly. On the ugly side of badly. So, he’s overprotective with everyone. Don’t blame him okay? He’s just taking care of me.”

“Cora, I…” Stiles sighed. “I don’t blame him. He’s your brother and he cares for you. I’m an only child but, well, I do get brotherly protectiveness. I have Scott.” Stiles smiled because Scott was always a reason to smile but he couldn’t stop thinking of what Cora had said. About Derek’s past experiences. Because no matter how it played out, this explained why he was only interested into one night stands. And why he was reserved at first.

And shit. This… this mess with Cora? Derek believed that Stiles had cheated on her, and that was probably one of the things he was afraid of the most. And it turned out that Derek was right. From his point of view, Stiles was a cheating asshole who didn’t respect his sister.

Stiles wanted to hit his head on the stirring wheel. What a fucking mess.

“Are you okay?”

“No… not really.”

Cora frowned, the expression almost identical to Derek’s. “Because of Derek?”

“No. Because I’m stupid. Anyway, do me a favor and come clean with your family okay?”

“Back down Stiles.”

“I’m not backing down. When I said I was out I meant out out. Derek believed I was still with you. I don’t want him to believe that the next time we see each other. You tell them.”

“Look Stiles, I understand that you don’t want to continue with this, but don’t tell me what to do.”

“I’m not telling you what to do. It’s just… your family look like really good people. And they didn’t harass me. Maybe you should consider telling them about Lydia. She’ll fit fine with your family.”

“Stiles—”

“Besides, taking me to your family instead of her is not right for her either. She’s an awesome person and she deserves all the attention and the big brother talks from your family.”

Cora sighed deflated. “Yeah… you might be right.”

“Talk to her okay?” To Stiles relief and satisfaction, Cora nodded. “Good. That’s good. Tell her I’ll call.” He said as he parked the car in front of Lydia’s house.

“Alright. But Stiles, I said I will do it but don’t rush me.” She opened the door and was out of the car before Stiles had any opportunity to answer. 

Apparently Cora hadn’t said anything to her family or Derek because three days later, when Derek came to the bakery to pick up Cora - his black coat was a bless and the green sweater inside was doing miracles with his eyes- he was still in full hostility mode.

“Hello Derek.”

“Hello Stiles.” Lips pressed in a hard line, eyebrows creasing together, eyes avoiding him and hands in his pockets to restrain himself from physical violence; the whole package.

“Cora is getting ready. She won’t be long. Um, do you—”

The most fucked up thing in all this exchange was that, despite Derek being obviously angry, Stiles senses registered the change in Derek’s eyes. From hazel to deep, dark green. “Don’t talk to me as if everything is alright.”

“Wha—”

“You got your point across and you won’t leave her. Knowing what I know, don’t expect me to be fine with that.” Yes, Derek’s voice was low, almost hissing. But there was also something else in it. Stiles couldn’t put his finger on it, not until Derek tore his eyes from him and turned his back to him. Hurt.

Stiles didn’t know what to say. But he knew what he was going to do. Being a murderer wasn’t among his first choices while growing up but right now he seemed fond of the outcome. He bit his lips, said nothing and walked to the back of the store. He met Cora right outside the changing room.

“You didn’t tell hi— them. You didn’t tell them.”

“I told you, don’t push me.”

“It’s been a fucking week. I don’t want them to believe that we are a thing. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“No Stiles. What the hell is wrong with you? You’re the one acting weird and hysterical.”

“You’re using me and I don’t like it. I want this to be over with. Yesterday. Are we clear?”

“Fuck you Stilinski. It’s my secret. I’ll tell them when I want.”

“Oh no, missy. It’s my secret, too. And if you don’t come clean, next time I see any member of your family, I’m telling them we’re over. Just so you know.”

Stiles left her there and barged again in the main hole. “Cora’s ready. She’s coming.” He folded his hands and looked everywhere but Derek. The rough beating of his heart inside his chest had nothing to do with anger and everything to do with shame and regret. Both of them unbearable as he had this man in front of him and he still wanted him with all his being. Knowing that he had hurt him was just adding to the weight in his chest and Stiles needed a break.

He didn’t like the harsh looks Derek was giving at him. He didn’t like that he was treated as if he was scum. And he didn’t fucking like to come face to face with Derek when he obviously couldn’t get over him after their night together. He was the only thing that he could think about. His face when he came, the way he called his name when he did. His smile. The fucking smile with the thousands suns that hadn’t shined for him once after that night.

It wasn’t fair.


	8. Chapter 8

“Is everything okay?”

Derek looked at his little sister with worry as he held her elbow, stopping her from storming out of the kitchen.

“Um yeah.” She said distracted.

“You’ve been checking your phone every thirty seconds the last four days. What’s wrong?”

Cora looked away as she mumbled. “Stiles.”

“Did you fight?”

Derek wasn’t born yesterday. He had more or less witnessed the exchange they had on the bakery the other day. He hadn’t heard exactly what they had been fighting about, but he had heard Cora’s muffled voice yelling and when Stiles got out, looking all dark and pouting like a five-year old, he knew he had heard right. Cora’s attitude as she came out, leaving without a single word, just confirmed his guesses.

“You can say that.”

“And?”

“And nothing. He’s avoiding me. Hasn’t been answering my calls.”

“Forget about him. If he ignores you like this he doesn’t deserve you.” Maybe Stiles had finally got the message and decided to end their relationship. Or maybe Stiles just got bored. Damn, Derek didn’t know if he should be relieved that his sister’s relationship with him was falling apart of if he should be angry that the damn asshole was hurting her.

“Derek you don’t understand. I-” she stopped, reevaluating her words. “I care about him. He’s… important.”

Derek scoffed and looked away. He was going to find him and rip him in shred. He had warned him about it.

“Look, Derek, forget it. It’s not a big deal. I’ll go to his place and we’ll talk and we’ll solve it.”

“It?”

“Derek. Stop pushing. It’s none of your business.”

“What is none of his business?” Laura had just entered the house with the kids and Dean.

“I had a fight with Stiles and I want to go talk to him.” Derek looked at her with his stricter face. “Fine, it was quite a fight. He hasn’t been answering his phone for the past four days and I want to go and see if he’s ok.”

“See if he’s ok?” Derek couldn’t believe it. What kind of passive-aggressive behavior was that? What’s more, this wasn’t at all like Stiles. And okay, he might not be an expert where Stiles was concerned, but he had seen Stiles fight back and provoke and mock even when he was on the wrong. It wasn’t like him to ignore people.

“Why not? Better yet, I’ll drive you. Come on.” Laura turned around and arranged her leaving with Dean. Derek always knew that behind her gentle face Laura was hiding the fiercest wolf he had ever met, right after his mother. This, now, was Laura being protective. The thing was, he wasn’t sure who she was protecting.

“No Laura wait!” Cora ran after her and Derek could hear them arguing. He didn’t interfere. He knew who would win. Who always won in the end. The only thing he had to do, was tag along, because on some level he wanted a piece of Stiles too. The rest of his feelings ranged from curiosity to fully blown concern that wasn’t addressed strictly to his sister.

Another car was parking outside Stiles’s building at the same time they did. Cora opened the door and looked at the man getting out.

“Scott?”

“Cora what the hell’s happening? Where’s Stiles?”

“You don’t know?” Cora’s voice was colored with earnest worry and Derek couldn’t ignore the pang of worry in his own chest too.

“We haven’t talked for the past three days.”

Scott’s eyes went from Laura to Derek. He squinted and asked. “Are you Derek?”

Derek nodded and Scott didn’t take his eyes off him for the next long, long seconds. Derek felt naked under Scott’s gaze, because he somehow got that Scott knew even if he couldn’t understand this reaction.

“Let’s go inside.” He said and turned his back to them, leading the way to Stiles’s door. He rang the bell again and again. When the door opened, after so long that Derek had believed that no one was inside, he was shocked to see Stiles, wearing an apron, covered from head to toe in a white dust— no flour.

“Stiles?” Scott’s eyes widened as he hurriedly went next to him. “Have you been baking all this time?”

“Shit” Cora muttered and walked to him.

“What is this?” Stiles frowned but his face was tired and he had black circles under his eyes. He spared them a tired look. “Oh, I see the cavalry is here huh?” Still, he took a step back for everyone to get inside, Scott never leaving his side.

Derek froze at the living room which was right next to the kitchen, divided only by a counter. On the counter, on the living room’s table, on the kitchen’s floor, were numerous boxes. Some of them were open, warm pies visible all over the place.

“It’s like a murder scene in here. Just, the only victims are fruits.” Laura mumbled as she was experiencing the same awe as him.

“Stiles I’m sorry.”

Derek heard his sister apologize and span around ready to argue, but Laura’s hand on his elbow stopped him.

“What happened?” Scott asked him.

Stiles shot only a brief look at Derek before he turned at Cora, determination drown all over his face. “Did you tell them?” Stiles licked his lips and Derek shouldn’t focus at this movement but he found himself doing exaclty that. “Did you tell them Cora?”

Cora didn’t answer and Stiles swore, shaking his head in something that could be surrender or disappointment. He took his apron off with spastic, uncoordinated moves, threw it angrily on the floor and walked around the apartment, flexing the muscles on his shoulders and his fists.

“Since you’re all here, I’m sure Cora will be happy to tell you that we’re not together.”

Something in his words, in Stiles’s voice made Derek assume that this wasn’t the point.

Stiles turned to Cora once again as he shoved his cell phone in his pocket. “Now that this is out of the way, I’m letting you tell them the rest of the truth.” Stiles reached for his keys and turned to Derek ready to say something, but stopped, his eyes losing their momentum, relaxing, as if taking in Derek’s face for the last time.

The only thing that Derek could focus on were the dark circles under Stiles’s eyes and the deep worry lines at their edges. In the end Stiles just shrugged, bobbing his head, accepting something only he knew. “I’m sorry.”

Stiles turned his back to them as he walked to the door when Scott stopped him. “Give me the keys.”

“Seriously dude?”

“Seriously. You haven’t slept in four days. You’re not driving.” Scott held his hand, palm out, in front of him, his grip tight on Stiles.

“How do you know I haven’t slept? I slept.Look at the couch, look at my bed, look at the chairs. I slept. ”

“Forty two pies, Stiles. Forty two. The keys.” Stiles made a frustrated, very childish, noise, but handed them over to Scott. Derek looked at the closed door mesmerized. What the hell had happened?

Laura’s voice brought him back. “Cora?” 

When Stiles got back home after sitting two hours on a bench at the park, as he was dead tired and unable to go any further without his car, he found Derek and Scott. He rubbed his eyes. He was so not ready for this discussion.

He locked the door behind him, and headed to the sofa. Sleep was the only thing that could help his crappy mood right now and he was finally on the verge of it. He didn’t want Scott and Derek, especially, talking to him right now.

“Stiles are you okay?”

“I’m fine Scott.”

“Is the radio silence over?”

“Yeah. It’s over.”

Scott smiled softly and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m leaving you two then. Please, talk through it. Don’t create another mess.” Scott’s eyes were indeed pleading and Stiles couldn’t help but smile back. Scott was his overprotective brother, right. Only, he showed it with the best god damn way possible and Stiles couldn’t hold it against him. On the contrary, it made him feel loved and important.

“We’ll talk. Thanks bud.”

“Call me later, okay? I’ll be waiting.” He said bye to Derek and left the apartment.

Derek hadn’t said a single word through this and, in all honesty, Stiles didn’t want to talk to him. He didn’t want to talk through anything. He wanted to ignore him until he left his apartment, but he had yet to find a way to ignore Derek, especially when he was sitting on the armchair two feet away from him, looking incredibly handsome and dead serious.

“Cora told us about you two.” Of course she did. It wasn’t as if he had left her any other choice. “And I told her about us.”

That got Stiles’s attention and he looked at Derek, frowning confused. “Why?”

“I’m not closeted, Stiles. I’m gay and my family knows.”

Stiles huffed. So much he knew already, but why would he tell Cora anyway? “Okay…?”

“I thought Stiles was a fake name.”

The change of the conversation’s direction was a new hit for Stiles, and he contemplated hiding. “Why the hell would you think that?”

“Because Stiles isn’t exactly common.”

“Neither is my real name, but if I had told you, you’d have a problem pronouncing it when we fucked.” He saw Derek’s face fall and realized, belatedly, that it was a shitty move from his part. He was cranky and sleepless and fuck, he was an ass.

“I’m sorry Derek. It’s just… I was expecting to wake up with you, and have coffee and maybe make pancakes and ask you out again and you weren’t there.” Stiles didn’t like the bitterness in his voice, but he couldn’t help it.

Derek rested his elbows on his knees and locked his fingers together, looking at them as if they were hiding all the answers. “I thought that you gave me a fake name because this was a one time thing for you.”

“I took you out for dinner.”

“And you never asked for my number.”

“I asked about your books and you said maybe as if this wasn’t going to be a thing.”

“You were sleeping before I even come to bed.”

“It was 2pm and I had been up twenty two hours straight that day and I had strenuous activity after work!”

“I can’t trust easily.”

Stiles bit the words that were already forming as a retort. Derek had… Did Derek just open up? Stiles said nothing out of fear that he would frighten him and he would stop. Even if Derek wasn’t willing to share more, Stiles wasn’t the one to push him to express himself. This was strictly personal and with all the shit between them… well, there weren’t many things between them anymore.

But damn, he liked that man and like the night they had sex, he wanted to hear what he had to say. But only if Derek wanted it first. So, he just nodded, taking in every detail of Derek’s expression and body language in case he’d manage to learn something words wouldn’t be able to convey.

Derek’s fingers tightened and his knuckles got white. His answer came in a low voice. The kind that someone only used to confide in another, to share his darker secrets. The kind that was hiding shame and pain.

“I only had two relationships. Not the best choices.” He pressed his lips and looked at Stiles and his eyes were so open and vulnerable that Stiles wanted to kiss away the pain in them. “I can’t trust.”

Stiles nodded, because yeah, trust was a big issue and he knew that Derek would look at him and remember that he lied to him about his sister. That he used his family as a stupid argument to hurt him in a fight where he was wrong from the beginning. If Derek couldn’t trust him, and he had no reason whatsoever to do it, then that was the end.

“I’m sorry for lying to you. I- I hope we had met under different circumstances.” Stiles’s heart fell as he uttered those words but it was okay. He had ended that scheme because he didn’t want to hurt Derek and get hurt by him anymore, not because he was expecting things between them to become real. Stiles knew where he was standing on this, and the fact that Derek had the guts -more guts than Stiles could ever have- to explain to him why there could never be a them honored him.

Then why was his chest heavy? Why he couldn’t meet Derek’s eyes anymore? Why was he regretting every choice he had made through this thing but for that night between them? Stiles swallowed and took a deep breath to calm down. This wasn’t the time to lose it. Not in front of Derek.

Derek sighed frustrated and looked at him, if possible more determined than before. “I’m not… Stiles, I like you.”

“You do?”

“Why do you think I’m here?”

Stiles shrugged. “To tell me that there can’t be something more between us?”

Derek huffed and got up, body tight with tension. He sat so close that Stiles felt his body heat, and turned to him.

“I was so angry at myself when I learned that you were my sister’s boyfriend.” Stiles stopped himself from trying to correct him and tell him that he, no, he never was his sister’s boyfriend but his sleep deprived mind realized that something good was happening there and there was no reason to point out the obvious.

Derek continued. “But I got more angry by the moment, when I realized that… that I wanted you despite you being a cheater. That I couldn’t stop thinking of our time together. That I wanted to see you again.”

Stiles let a trembling hand fell on Derek’s intertwined fingers. It was now or never and it was the most perfect now he could get.

“I wanted to see you too. I wanted you. I thought… that we could have something more than just a night together.” Derek’s fingers wrapped around his and his gaze locked on them. “Derek look at me. Do you think that after I sleep for a couple of days, we could get a date? A real date?”

Derek nodded and then gave him a small but teasing smile. “Before I leave this place, you’re giving me your number.” Stiles smiled back and squeezed Derek’s fingers in response.


	9. Chapter 9

Derek woke up to the smell of coffee and - he frowned, taking a deeper sniff- pancakes. He opened his eyes slightly as he raised his head a tad to look around. He wasn’t in his own bed and that thought alone made him warm inside. He nuzzled on the pillow he had under his arm which wasn’t his, the empty pillow-less space next to his head a fair indication he had snuggled Stiles pillow in his sleep. The scent that reached his nostrils was Stiles’s, too, and he found himself unable to stop inhaling. Sweet and spicy, the scent on the sheets and the pillow enclosed their night together. A night they had been longing to repeat for a while, and they had finally felt ready to complete the previous day.

Sighing, Derek pushed himself away from the bed’s comfort and their joined scents, only to chase the smell of coffee. His clothes had to be somewhere in the living room, where everything had started, but he managed to find his underwear. Despite the cold weather outside, in the house the temperature was high enough to feel comfortable like this. At least he wasn’t walking around naked.

He headed to the kitchen, folded his hands on his chest and admired the view. Stiles was making pancakes in briefs and a plain red t-shirt, singing Wonderwall completely out of tune. Derek couldn’t take his eyes off of him, staying silent even when the urge to reach for the coffee was unbearable.

Stiles was too deep in his world though, turning pancakes and dancing goofily around. No wonder he had managed to stay out of the radar for four days.

“Is this a party?”

“Jesus Christ!” Stiles threw the utensil he was using to turn the pancakes on the pan and jumped around.

Derek’s eyes opened wide and he lifted himself from the counter where he was leaning. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Nah... It’s okay.” Stiles swallowed, took one deep breath again and touched his chest. One deep breath again.

“Yeah… I can see that.”

“No, I mean it. It’s just...” With a wince he picked the fork from the bowl in which it had sank and kept it over it waiting for all the mixture to drip. “I’m used to living alone. A voice can be a bit unsettling under normal circumstances. But this isn’t normal. The circumstances I mean. Not not normal. Just different and I’ll stop babbling now, good morning.”

“Okay.” Derek said, smiling. If anything, Stiles’s babbling was cute.

“Okay then.” He turned on the stove with a nod and poured more mixture into the pan. “Coffee’s ready and I’ll be finished with pancakes in less than two minutes, if you want to eat.”

Derek walked to the counter and poured some coffee for himself. Then he covered the distance to where Stiles was cooking, wrapped a hand around his waist and kissed his cheek. “Good morning.”

Stiles smiled at him, rubbing his cheek on Derek’s face. “Do you like pancakes?”

“I do.” And then something else occurred. “How long arhave you been awake?”

“Not much. Twenty, thirty minutes maybe.” Stiles took the last pancake off the frying pan, turned off the stove and turned around. “Are you worried?” He asked playfully.

“It was an intense day yesterday.” In short, yes Derek was worried. Going at his home, to his family once again with Stiles as his boyfriend this time, was intense on its own. But Stiles had seemed nervous since the day they had decided to do it. No matter the reassurance that there weren’t going to be any comments or grudge, Stiles couldn’t relax. By the time they arrived, Stiles had been a nervous wreck.

Derek hadn’t realized how much the scheme with his sister had affected Stiles. Yes, Derek had been the one to take the first step after Cora revealed their fake relationship and tell Stiles that he liked him, but that was only because Stiles had tried to come forth and he had actually been the one who tried to clean up the mess. Even then, it hadn’t been easy. Derek had been willing to try, but he couldn’t shake off, in the back of his head, that something would go downhill. Again.

It wouldn’t be the first time anyway.

After last night, though, after watching Stiles’s nerves shred to threads, hesitating so many times to enter the house and meeting his folks again, his ears hot red in shame as he apologized, Derek was somehow reassured that Stiles wasn’t going to hurt him again.

The night had gone smoothly after that and his family, true to their word - okay maybe Derek had done a little threatening, here and there- had let it go. No unsettling comments, and no references to what had happened whatsoever. Maybe Lydia’s presence had helped.

No matter what though, seeing Stiles in a good mood today, and having him in his arms smiling after last night was the best Christmas gift Derek could have asked for.

“I have to admit that it went far better than I was expecting.”

“I told you.”

“Don’t start.” Stiles sighed and rest his lips on Derek’s cheek. “It was a nice dinner though. Better than the first one.”

“You didn’t like the food the first time? Should I tell that to my mother?”

Stiles pinched his ass and Derek jerked, flinching. “You weren’t glaring at me. That’s why.”

“I didn’t glare at you.”

“Oh yes you did. You could have glare me to death if that was actually plausible.”

“Okay, maybe I glared, but I had a good reason.”

Stiles nodded, the light in his eyes disappearing for a moment and Derek almost regretted the comment. “True. But since I know now how crappy your mood is when you have sex and no breakfast, this time I attended to it.”

It took Derek a couple of blinks to realize what Stiles was saying, but in the end he smiled, mostly in relief. They had talked about what has happened enough the past weeks and it wasn’t a subject they avoided, not by any means. But Derek was tired of the drama and apparently Stiles was, too.

The joke was another peace offering.The kind that came after a pleasurable night and deep understanding.

“So, you cooked to avoid my death glare?”

“And because you’d be hungry?”

“After last night?” Derek smiled and bit Stiles’s earlobe. “I’m hungry, yeah.” he murmured, breathing purposefully on his sensitive skin.

“Then let’s eat and I promise I’ll make you hungry again.” Stiles pushed his body on Derek’s, kissing his collarbone and neck as if to make his point across. He didn’t have to, though. Derek knew Stiles would keep his promise.

He trailed a wet path from Stiles’s ear to his lips, kissing languidly, all the time in the world ahead of him. Stiles’s response was a soft hum on Derek’s mouth, followed by a smile. A bright one.

“Merry Christmas, Stiles.” He whispered onto his lips.

“Merry Christmas,Derek.”

In the end, they had to make fresh coffee, and they ate the pancakes cold, along with some lemon pie Cora had made as an apology to Stiles, which she had effortlessly shoved in their hands on their way out the previous night.


End file.
